Pretty Guardian Sailor Lilith
by Perlune
Summary: Kasumi Nakano awakens at the hospital with a traumatic amnesia. Usagi decides to takes care of her, but things get complicated when a new soldier, Sailor Lilith, who looks exactly like Kasumi, appears. Who is she? What does she want? Is she good or evil?
1. Prologue

The girl strode quickly along the corridors. She knew she had very little time. Since she had never been allowed in the palace, she'd had to ask the way to the royal chamber. At first, guards hadn't agreed to let her inside. But a pinch of her powers had been more than enough to change have them their mind. She smiled at that thought. Humans were so terribly _weak_.

She went up a large staircase, and eventually came in front of a gate. It was also guarded. But the two girls there weren't ordinary guards. She sighed. She knew they had to cross her way before she reached her goal.

One of them immediately sighted her.

'Hey, you! What're you doing here?'

'You shouldn't be rude like this, Mars' the girl answered. 'Don't you recognize me?'

The red-suited Guardian's eyes narrowed.

'You...! It's really not the time for you to be here!'

'On the contrary... I think it's perfect timing.'

'Then you're thinking wrong!'

'Mars!'

The other Guardian stepped in. She didn't seem angry, like her friend, but she clearly looked worried.

'Mercury', the girl nodded at her. 'How're you doing?'

'Please, spare me the teasing.'

'I was just trying to be polite. It's you who taught me how much important it is to be.'

'There is a time for policy, and a time for action. What is it that you want?'

'To fulfil my mission, of course.'

'What mission?' Mars blurted out.

'It's no business of yours. It's exclusively between me and Serenity-sama.'

The girl in red laughed.

'Serenity-sama would never give you a mission of any sort without telling us!'

'Yet she did. Now if you would be so kind as to let me pass...'

'You're not going through! Is that clear?'

'Please calm down, Mars', Mercury said. 'We can't let you go inside. We have strict orders.'

'Oh, come on, don't give me that shit. We've seen things together, haven't we? Since when d'you follow Serenity-sama's orders?'

'You're not in position to judge us. Now please leave.'

The girl sighed.

'It's really a shame we Sailor Guardians cannot work as a team.'

'We do' Mars snapped. 'You're not in the team, that's all.'

'How cruel. When I think of everything I've achieved to be allowed into your little frat...'

'Ha! Stop it, you're gonna make me cry!'

'Your whining isn't going to change anything' Mercury stated. 'We have a serious crisis at hand, and we really don't need you to mess things up.'

'You really don't understand, do you? Serenity-sama requires assistance right now. She needs me!'

'There's nothing you can do for her! Nothing at all!'

'Let me in, and see for yourself.'

'Never! Over my dead body!'

The girl smirked. She knew it eventually had to come to this. Humans were so... predictable. Prisoners of their weaknesses. She dropped her hood, showing her dark hair and clear eyes.

'Okay', she said slowly. 'I had hoped for things to go more smoothly, but... Over your dead body, you say? Let's do it that way then.'

Mars and Mercury squared up. They knew their opponent very well. But they didn't know themselves enough to win this battle.

The girl threw her cloak away. She had no need to hide anymore. Soon, guards were going to find Mars and Mercury unconscious, and ring the alarm. She had to act fast. She strode forward and pushed the gates. Serenity-sama was inside the chamber, crying in the arms of a third Guardian. The forth one turned around as she heard the gates creak. Her eyes widened when she spotted the newcomer.

'What the hell are you...?'

The girl pondered for a moment. She couldn't afford to waste time like she had done with Mars and Mercury. None of them would hear what she had to say anyway, nor would they understand. She swiftly moved her arms forward and shouted 'SOLAR ECLIPSE!'. The green-suited Guardian stood there for a moment, staring blankly with a faint look of surprise. Then she fell heavily to her knees, and began muttering to herself.

'That's right', the girl urged her on. 'You're lonely, no one cares for you, and-'

'Jupiter!'

The last Guardian suddenly let go of Serenity-sama and stood up. She quickly reached to Jupiter in order to provide her assistance.

'You traitor!' she addressed the girl. 'How dare you take advantage of us at a time like this?'

'Don't speak ill of what you have no idea about', the girl mumbled as she stepped forward, getting closer to Serenity-sama.

The Guardian immediately left Jupiter, to come between the girl and the Queen.

'I just need to talk to her.'

'You're not getting anywhere! In the name of Venus, I shall punish you!'

'If you say so...'

Venus raised her arms and started drawing a heart shape in the air. The girl smirked - she identified this attack at once. She moved her left foot back, ready to counter. As the orange-suited Guardian called 'LOVE-ME CHAIN!', she answered 'GRUDGE SPIRAL!'. A chain made with heart-shaped links came in her direction and surrounded her. But instead of squeezing her, it began to spin even faster, and with a movement of the hips, she returned it to the sender. Taken by surprise, Venus cried as she was struck hard by the chain. She fell back, tightly tied.

The girl didn't take time to taunt her victims. She went straight to Serenity-sama. The Queen was still crying heavily, but she stopped to stare in horror at her as she came closer.

'Serenity-sama... look at me...'

The Queen shook her head wildly. She seemed really frightened.

'Please, your Majesty...' the girl begged softly. 'I'm here to abide by your wishes. Don't you remember the promise you had me make some years ago?'

Serenity-sama crept backward.

'No... please... go...'

'I'm not going anywhere, Serenity-sama. Wake up! You need to face the truth!'

'I... can't... please, pretty please... go...'

'Serenity-sama!'

The girl reached to the Queen and shook her shoulders. She had hoped for her to come to her senses, but her look was desperately blank. And when she let go of her, the Queen fell motionless to the ground. The girl stared in disbelief as she spotted crimson liquid spreading on the ground. She pushed the body to her side, only to find a dagger, firmly jabbed in her robes. Freaking out, she grabbed the weapon and pulled it out. She immediately regretted her gesture as a pack of guards entered the chamber, and Venus screamed 'Murderer!'.

The girl closed her eyes. Maybe Mercury had been right, after all – she had completely messed things up.

'I am ashamed. When I think that I was the one who suggested Serenity-sama to make you into a Sailor Guardian...'

'Spare me the lecture, Pluto' the girl sighed. 'It was a mere snag. We can change everything back.'

'You're really naive, aren't you? Do you think it is as simple as to use the Portal everytime you make a mistake? Of all people in this world, you should know better.'

'I made no mistake! Or maybe, yes, I did one – to flee the court, and to let these arrogant friends of hers ruin all of my efforts. Serenity-sama rejected me when she needed me most!'

'Don't blame the others for putting you apart. You have accepted your rôle, knowing from the beginning it was meant to be lonely.'

'Who's talking about feelings?'

'You're the one saying Serenity-sama rejected you. If she did, it means that you've failed her.'

'Look, Pluto – I'm tired of you so-called guardians of justice telling me not to do this and not to say that. Serenity-sama had entrusted me with a special task, and yes – I did fail her. Now if you please, I have some tweaking in the past to do...'

'You've done enough damage. I'm not letting you through.'

The girl clenched her teeth.

'You're all the same.'

She leapt forward, trying to go round Pluto, but the Guardian raised her staff and blocked her. She tried her solar eclipse attack, but her opponent deflected it with her weapon. Pluto was apparently not willing to use her special moves – which the girl was waiting for, but it seemed that she knew better.

'What do you hope to achieve?' the Guardian of Time called. 'I dwell in the very fabric of time! You cannot possibly beat me!'

'Every human has a weakness' the girl fired back.

While fighting to keep her opponent busy, she tried to think. Weakness. What kind of weakness could Pluto have? She was strong, smart, wise. Pretty much invincible. How could one defeat an invincible opponent?

'Let's stop this' Pluto said. 'Go back to the palace and face your doom. The princess can take care of the Kingdom.'

The princess? The girl recalled the words Mars had uttered a while ago: over my dead body!

Pluto was starting to become fiercer. The girl knew she had to find a solution very quickly if she wanted to get out alive. _Think!_ Pluto is invincible because she is everywhere, everytime... She knows the future and the past... She does not belong in the present... She does not...

The girl smirked.

'Hey, Pluto! Haven't showed you my brand new attack, have I?'

The woman suddenly looked puzzled. Without waiting for an answer, the girl waved her arms in all directions. Pluto carefully stood back, observing her opponent's strange dance. Suddenly, the girl leapt in the air yelling 'SHADOW WAVE!'. She landed right in front of the Guardian of Time, who was ready for her, and threw her arms forward. Pluto immediately waved her staff to deflect the beam that was bound to come out. But when she realised that nothing had came out, it was too late. The girl had already thrown herself to the ground, and chopped her legs down. Pluto let out a scream as she swayed, and fell off the platform which was leading to the Portal. She barely had enough senses to firmly grasp the ledge.

The girl stood up and dusted her suit. Then she looked down with a vicious smile.

'Like I said before – every human has their weaknesses. As for you... you should know that I haven't got any brand new attacks. You knew all of them from the start - after all, you do dwell in the very fabric of time. Serves you well, Sailor Pluto.'

Suddenly, a low, spooky voice arose from behind her.

'Nicely done, Lilith.'

The girl closed her eyes.

'Please don't mention it.'

'On the contrary. You have proven incredibly crafty. Thanks to you, the Portal is mine now!'

'What _is_ that?' Pluto addressed the girl in horror.

'My mission', she simply answered. 'I hope you understand better now, why I couldn't tell anyone about it.'

'You've betrayed us! Curse you!'

'It's just as you said', the girl called while walking away. 'I was meant to be lonely, from the very beginning. Farewell, my friend.'

She had hoped for more proper goodbyes, but given the awkward situation, there was hardly anything else she could do. She did her best not to show anything while she crossed the glowing surface of the Portal.


	2. Awakening

There was light. And then, she knew that her nightmare was over. It felt strange, though. The soft, warm light pouring through the window seemed like a dream to her. Like she had not known light for a long, long time.

She brought her hands to her forehead and massaged her stinging eyes. Her body felt heavy. She wondered how much time she had been sleeping. She scanned the side of her bed, searching for a clock, but couldn't find any. She glanced over her shoulder.

_Where am I?_

The room around her was white. The walls and the bed sheets were shaded by dusk's dying sunbeams. There were other beds, too. All empty. She suddenly noticed a racing beep. It came from a machine by her side. She realized that the beep had been there all the time. And that it had been steady until just now. She watched the machine in amazement, as she understood - the beep was synchronized with her heartbeats. She tried and regulate them. The beep went slower. She relaxed a bit. But she was still a little anxious.

_What am I doing in a hospital?_

As she lay there wondering, the door suddenly swung open. She startled as she saw a man entering the room. As he saw her, he looked startled, too.

'Why, he said, aren't we awake? How do you feel?'

Strangely, she couldn't place the man's face, but his voice wasn't unknown to her.

'Fine... I suppose, she answered hesitantly.'

Hearing her own voice felt as strange as hearing the man's. Seemingly excited, he came to the side of her bed, and sat down on a chair, bringing his face at the same level as hers. He was dressed in a white coat. He looked rather young, and pretty handsome. And he seemed to have a rather strong character. She felt a wave of warmth arise in her. It made her confused.

'Alright. My name is Masao Murasaki. Can you tell me yours?'

For a second, she felt unsure what the question was about. What was the man thinking? Of course she could tell her name. She searched through her memory. Then, and only then, it hit her.

_Who am I?_

She stared blankly at the man, like a child caught red handed trying to keep her cool. Trying to bring back memories of her life, she quickly grew terrified as she realized how few she had. Too few for a normal person, she sensed. Despite a thorough search, she wasn't able to remember her name, any name at all that could be hers. One name did came to her. But it couldn't be that one. No, it couldn't. But, out of sheer desperation, she decided to take a chance.

'Ririsu.'

The man looked surprised.

'Is that so?'

'What makes you think otherwise?' she questioned, a little too defiantly.

'Relax! I don't mean to upset you. I'm just trying to help.'

'Isn't my name Ririsu?'

'Well, your ID says Kasumi Nakano.'

'Kasumi... Nakano?'

Nakano-san. Kasumi-chan. It did ring a bell somewhere. But it felt distant. Much too distant for a name that's supposed to be yours.

'Would you like it better if I called you Ririsu?' the man offered gently.

'No. Kasumi Nakano is fine.'

'Alright. Then, Nakano-san, I'm going to ask you some routine questions, if you don't mind, and then I'll gladly answer all of your questions.'

'Okay...'

Assuming the man would ask her about her memories, she was ready to make up some. But the first question surprised her.

'Can you tell me what day we are?'

Caught off guard, she couldn't help but looking even more puzzled than earlier.

'The day? I-I-I have no idea.'

'Okay. Relax, it's not a big deal. Now do you know which city we are in?'

'Tokyo...?'

It had come instantly. The man smiled.

'See? You're not completely lost, after all.'

Not completely lost.

She suddenly sat up.

'What's happened to me? Why can't I remember anything? Where is my family? Where are my friends?'

'Calm down, Nakano-san. I will tell you everything, but please listen to me.'

The man's firm, yet soft hands gently made her sink back beneath her sheets.

'We don't know for sure what's happened to you. You were found lying on the street with severe bruising and various wounds. We were barely able to bring you back to life. The most plausible hypothesis is that you've fallen from the nearby tower...'

'Fallen? You don't fall from a tower like that, do you?'

'Well, it's true, and yet...'

'Are you saying that I've been trying to commit suicide?'

The man suddenly looked very uneasy.

'It might be. But even so, your wounds couldn't possibly be due to a sole fall. Actually, they may indicate that you've been in a fight, right before falling off.'

'Someone would have pushed me?'

'It might be. But it's only a hypothesis, you know.'

'And what about my family?'

'Well, that's the difficult part... You have no family that we know of.'

'What?'

'We've asked all of the Nakano that live around here. Plus, no one by your name or description has been reported missing in the past three weeks.'

'Three weeks...? How long have I been unconscious?'

'Well, about that much. You know, it's pretty fast to arise from coma.'

She fell silent. She couldn't believe something like that was happening. The warm sunbeams that had made her feel like in a dream earlier were fading. The beds, the walls, the man, her heartbeats, the void in her mind, everything around her seemed terribly real now. She couldn't hold her tears anymore. She didn't remember the nightmare from which she had awoken minutes ago, yet she was confident it couldn't be worse than the one she was in right now.


	3. Renewing

A few days had passed since her awakening. She spent half of her time sleeping, and the other half wondering about her past and trying to remember anything. There was not much else she could do anyway, especially since she was still recovering. The least effort exhausted her, and made her feel dizzy. Just getting out of bed and going to the bathroom was quite challenging.

Because of that, she had only half an hour of therapy a day with Professor Murasaki. It was very frustrating. She'd rather had therapy to the last breath, until she regained her memories, rather than sitting there and enjoying her own company. It's not like she was an uninteresting person to chat with. But, technically speaking, she was nobody. It sure made inner discussions short.

At the request of Murasaki-sama, she had been moved to psychiatry. 'I'm not mad', she had pleaded, feeling uneasy. The professor has laughed. 'Of course you're not. But scans show no physical harm to your brain. Therefore, I believe that your amnesia is of post-traumatic origin.'

'Post-traumatic...?'

'Yes, damage due to a strong emotional shock, if you prefer. Some things are so terrible to see, that your brain would rather forget them for your own sake.'

'How is that possible?'

'Human minds are capable of many incredible things,' Murasaki had answered with a puzzling face.

'Does that mean... that I'm never going to remember anything?'

'Not necessarily. As far as modern psychology knows, emotionnally strong memories cannot be erased easily. Thus, rather than suppressing the memories as such, it is believed that the brain denies access to them.'

'Like some sort of vault?'

'Exactly. Like a vault of which key you'd have lost.'

'Isn't there a way to go through?'

'Probably. But psychology is a rather young science, you know. Forcing the way to blocked memories would be like trying to break in a heavy-armored vault without the knowledge of tools. And that goes without mentioning the alarm.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, to keep anyone from accessing them, your brain most likely places a security system before denied memories. Trying to force the way could cause even more damage. You could fall back into coma.'

This new information had almost completely discouraged her from trying to investigate her own memory. If striving to get her memories back only pulled them away even more, how was she supposed to ever regain them? In this hopeless situation, she had slowly begun to drown into a sea of melancholy. To the few people who spoke to her and asked about her - the one topic that was bound to irritate her - she answered that she just had nothing to tell, and with that, people could not pretend they were interested in her anymore. Losing all of your memories had to have a bright side, after all.

That day, the nurse who brought her lunch was particularily chatty and noisy. She was even harder to miss with that peculiar hairstyle of hers - pigtails gathered in buns. After speaking nonsense about the meal, the hospital, or weather, for a while, she finally introduced herself.

'By the way, I'm Usagi Tsukino. Nice to meet you!'

She stayed silent.

'Won't you tell me your name?' the nurse asked after a moment.

'Kasumi Nakano' she answered reluctantly.

'Nice to meet you, Nakano-san! Or... could I call you Kasumi-chan? We're about the same age...'

'Call me whatever you want. I'm not even sure this is my real name.'

'What do you mean?'

'Can't you read? I'm amnesiac.'

'Amne-what?'

She stared at the nurse skeptically.

'Are you sure you're a nurse?'

'Ah... actually I only work part-time as a nurse! I'm into something completely different otherwise.'

'This is no excuse. You should know what you're dealing with.'

'Well... I guess you're right. Forgive me, I know I'm not very smart...'

'Amnesia means losing memories.'

'Losing memories? Like what?'

'Like everything.'

'But... you do remember your name, right?'

_Is she stupid or something?_

'Look, Tsukino-san, you have a home, a family, friends, you may even have a boyfriend. You have a part-time job, hobbies, plans for your life. What about me? I just have a name. And no memory of having ever been called that.'

The nurse blushed.

'I'm sorry... You're right, I should be more responsible, and pay more attention to what I say. I apologize for being so insensitive. You sure are in a tough situation I've never experienced. I can't begin to imagine how my life would be without...'

'Look, you're at it again...' she sighed.

'I'm sorry!' The nurse bowed deeply and rushed toward the door. 'I'd better leave now. Sorry for bothering you!' She turned right before exiting the room, and added shyly: 'Don't worry, I'm sure everything will work out. Bye!'

The nurse left her face to face with her plate. She stared at it thoughtfully for a while. That Usagi Tsukino sure was a clumsy one. But it was somehow touching. Pretty different from all those people who looked at her with that pathetic sympathy, which made her nothing but feel even more miserable than she already was. With no memories, she was no one. Yet the nurse was the first person who treated her like a normal person. Even to Professor Murasaki, she was some sort of specimen.

Tearing herself away from the contemplation of her meal, she gazed at the door, and cracked a smile. Kasumi was fine as a first name, after all.


	4. Amazing

'Here, Kasumi-chan!'

Usagi had bursted in the room and was now holding a small box in front of her. She raised her eyes.

'What's that?'

'A lunchbox!'

'For me?'

'Yes, of course! Take it!'

'Thank you...'

'Oh, it's nothing, you know! To tell the truth, I'm not the one who made it... It's from my friend Mako-chan...'

Kasumi took the box and opened it. A delicious scent spread across the room. The young girl suddenly remembered what the feeling of hunger was all about.

'She cooked for me?' she said, staring at the lunchobx in disbelief.

'Yes, she did! I told my friends about you the other day, and they all thought they should do something. Ami-chan proposed to bring you to college, Minako-chan wants to write a song for you...'

Kasumi carefully plunged her chopsticks in the mild food and brought them to her mouth. Her heart jumped. It was incredibly delicious. She felt like she had been starving all the time until that very moment.

'So? Usagi asked cheerfully. How does it taste?'

'I kinda like it', Kasumi coyly answered.

'I'm glad! I was worried about the food they serve here... A good diet is the basis for a good health, isn't it?'

Kasumi didn't answer. She felt confused. On the one hand, she felt grateful to those strangers who would spontaneously offer their help - but on the other hand, wouldn't they let her down in the end? Saying they would help was one thing - doing so was another.

While she was eating, Usagi was still chatting.

'I hope you'll be out soon!'

'I don't.'

'Really? Why?'

'Well, because I have nowhere to go, I guess.'

Usagi felt embarassed.

'Oh, that's a shame... I know! You should stay at my place!'

'No way. I couldn't do that.'

'Why not?'

'I don't want to depend on someone else. I can take care of myself.'

'Oh, come on! Relying on your friends isn't wrong, you know!'

'You're my friend?'

'Aren't I?'

There was a moment of silence.

'Yes, I suppose...'

'Great! I'll call my parents right away!'

Kasumi stared in disbelief as the nurse took a cell phone out and dialled a number.

'Mama! Yes, it's me... Yes, I'm doing fine... No, I haven't forgotten about this evening... Yes, I have been studying... a little... Remember about Kasumi-chan?... Yes, the girl from the hospital! Couldn't she stay at home?... She can take Chibi-Usa's room... She just needs some time to go back to her normal life... Pretty please... Oh, mom, you're the best! See you!'

Usagi hung up and offered Kasumi a cheerful smile.

'Everything's arranged!'

The young patient stared blankly at the nurse for a while.

'What's up, Kasumi-chan?'

'You're... crazy.'

'Hey, you're being rude now!'

Kasumi giggled. The situation was so absurd, that she couldn't help it. Usagi giggled too. Then both girls burst into laughter. They were making so much noise that a staff person knocked and ordered them to keep quiet. This only made them laugh even more. While she was laughing, a part of Kasumi was watching herself in amazement. For whatever reason, she clearly realized that what was taking place at this very moment was the most incredible thing she had known since her rebirth.


	5. Dreaming

Kasumi looked around. For some reason, she knew this place wasn't real. There was fog everywhere. Strange echoes could be heard in the distance. She walked for a bit, until she spotted a door in the middle of the mist. She hurried forward. Oddly enough, the door opened by itself as the girl reached for it. She took a glance inside and froze.

There were three people. One was wearing a black suit and glasses, and she was busy typing on a computer. Another one was looking through some kind of telescope. The last one was dressed with a white toga and sat on some sort of pedestal while watching the other two work. But the most intriguing thing was the fact that all three of them resembled each other very much. No, they all had exactly the same face. Her face. Her dark hair with her plaits and her hairpins. Her gray eyes.

The Kasumi in toga was the first to notice their visitor. She looked a bit startled, but her expression quickly showed great interest.

'Now now, look who's there...'

The other two looked up from their work and stared at Kasumi.

'Will!' called the girl with the periscope.

'Finally!' said the one with the computer. 'Where've you been all this time?'

Startled, Kasumi stared at them speechless for a while.

'Are you talking to me?'

'Of course, Will, who else?' the girl in toga said.

'What did you call me?'

'Will! Did you forget your name already?' the periscope girl asked.

'That would explain much' the computer girl nodded.

Kasumi stepped forward and frowned.

'Hey, hey, stop that already! My name's Kasumi Nakano and I don't know who you are... you might be confusing me with someone else...'

All three of the girls burst in laughter.

'Looks like your absence has muddled yourself up.'

'Honestly, you don't remember us at all?'

'Guess I have a bit of catching up to do', Kasumi muttered.

The girl in toga jumped to the ground and stood proudly in front of Kasumi.

'I am Judgment. Here are Perception and Memory.'

Kasumi raised an eyebrow.

'And what exactly are you doing here?'

'What do you think? We're looking after Nakano-sama's welfare. Perception is gathering intelligence, while Memory is building archives to keep track of everything's that's been done here. As for me, I take decisions based on the information they provide me.'

'And so, who am I?'

'You? You're Will, our boss.'

'Your boss? You just said you're the one who takes decisions.'

'Actually, I just choose what's best to do. I'm just here to make your life easier. You're supposed to oversee our work, and decide of our strategy.'

Kasumi gave a confused look to Perception and Memory.

'According to you, I've been missing for some time now. How have you been dealing with your work without me?'

The three girls exchanged uncomfortable looks.

'Well, we've been, uh – managing, I guess.'

There was an awkward silence.

'Is something the matter?'

'Well, no, uh – I mean, not really.'

Observation, the periscope girl, shrugged.

'There's no use hiding it from her. She'll eventually find out.'

'Well, okay...' Judgment said, seemingly looking for the right way to put things. 'We've been, uh, following someone else's guidelines.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. It's, uh, Dream.'

Kasumi remained silent. None of this made any sense to her, anyway, but the three girls seemed really scared to be punished for what they'd done. And she had to found out why.

'C'mon, don't be mad at us' Observation begged. 'You were gone without giving us any hint of when you'd come back. We were worried.'

'You could very well be gone for ever' Memory added. 'I guess we, uh, sorta freaked out.'

'Without you, our mere existence was threatened. Dream was the only one around who could handle things. So we turned to her.'

Kasumi pondered for a bit.

'I'm not mad' she eventually offered. 'As long as everything goes back to how it was before, I don't care what that dream has done.'

Judgment and Observation had a sigh of relief.

'You rock, boss. We were so worried that you were gonna fire use for this...'

'Yeah, you used to complain so much of her, we knew it was kinda hazardous to hang around with her...'

Kasumi turned to Memory. She looked away, pretending to be absorbed by her work. The girl strode toward her.

'Is everything okay?'

'Yeah, sorta...'

'Look, Memory, I have a task for you. You're keeping archives here, right?' Memory nodded. 'Okay then, I need some stuff... from – say, three weeks ago.'

The computer worker pursed her lips.

'Will, there's something I need to tell you... I know you're going to be pissed, but–'

'What now?'

'Well, Dream, you know – she persuaded me – I mean us – to, uh, shut away everything.'

'What do you mean _shut away_?'

'Well, see that vault behind me? Everything's in there. Dream locked it down, and she took the key with her.'

Kasumi's hopes shattered in an instant. Her expression darkened.

'Haven't you got any spare key?'

'No, I haven't.'

'Isn't there any other way to open it?'

'No, there isn't.'

'Can't you force your way inside?'

'It could destroy all the archives – and this office, too.'

Kasumi clenched her fists.

'Isn't it your job to keep the archives from other people?'

'Forgive me! Doing so, I hoped no one would be able to find them, even if I was to be missing... Like you were!'

Suddenly, Kasumi turned around and strode to the door. It opened by itself, as it had done earlier.

'Hey, Will, where are you going?' Judgment anxiously called.

'Don't worry, I'll be back. I just need... some _space_. Keep up the good work until then.'

And so, she disappeared in the foggy field.


	6. Homecoming

Kasumi felt her heart pound as Usagi crossed the threshold of her house, yelling 'I'm home!'. She stood behind while Usagi's mother came to greet her. She carefully observed the woman, unsure about what attitude to follow.

'Mom, this is Kasumi-chan!' Usagi said cheerfully.

The woman's eyes turned to her. Kasumi bowed hastily and picked her most neutral expression.

'Thank you for inviting me to your home, Tsukino-san.'

The woman chuckled.

'Oh, you don't need to be so formal, Kasumi-chan! Please make yourself at home!'

'Thank you,' Kasumi repeated, bowing again.

Usagi took her hand and led her through the corridors. She showed her to the different rooms of the house. Her bedroom was located in the attic. It looked simple, but nice.

'Do you like it?' Usagi asked eagerly.

'Yeah, I guess.'

They went to Usagi's room afterwards. It felt cozy and warm, even though it was a bit messy – there was a lot of papers on her desk.

'Ah, sorry,' the girl apologized. 'I didn't have time to clean up everything... And they give us so many papers to study...'

'What do you study?'

'Err – journalism.'

'Really? You'd like to be a journalist?'

'Well, sorta... he he! I want to be, uh...' Usagi suddenly looked embarrassed. 'Promise me you're not going to laugh at me.'

'Why would I?'

'Well, it's just a dream, and it's like, a bit silly...'

'Don't worry.'

'Okay then... I want to be a manga artist!'

There was a moment of silence.

'You do?'

'Ah... I'm not very good at drawing yet, but... I'm training as much as I can! I know it's not a serious job, I mean, you have to be really talented to succeed, right? Anyway, I'm determined to do whatever it takes to fulfil my dream...'

Kasumi stared at her. She couldn't think of anything to say. Usagi blushed and gave her an uneasy look.

'You think I'm being silly again, aren't you?'

'No... I think you're... amazing.'

'Eh?'

'I wished... I wish you succeed. It's a beautiful dream you have.'

'Oh, Kasumi-chan, you're the best!'

Usagi immediately rushed forward and hugged her. Kasumi's eyes widened. For some reason, this sudden proof of affection made a surge of fear arise in her. Usagi didn't seem to notice anything, though, as she cheerfully ran to her desk, and picked a sheet that was buried under a mass of paper. It was a sketch. The line was a little clumsy, and the characters has some odd traits here and there. But on the whole, the art looked smooth and dynamic.

'This is my first page. So, what do you think?'

'It's a good start.'

'Really? You like it?'

Kasumi didn't have time to answer, because Usagi's mother called them out for lunch. Both girls went downstairs to the dining room. Usagi's father was already sitting at the table, and he was chatting with a young woman.

'Shinju-oneesan!' Usagi exclaimed as she saw her.

The woman smiled at her.

'Usagi-chan! Long time no see, uh? You sure seem surprised to see me.'

'Ah – yes, uh – I mean, not at all! Kasumi-chan, this is Shinju, my cousin.'

'Nice to meet you! I'm Shinju Tsukino.'

'Thank you. I'm Kasumi Nakano,' the girl answered with a quick bow.

The girls joined the guest. Usagi and Shinju started sharing memories together. Kasumi was listening silently. Usagi's mother brought the meal and sat down.

'Where's Shingo?' she grumbled. 'I told him to come twice already!'

No sooner had she spoken that a tall, young boy appeared. He stopped when he spotted Kasumi.

'Hey,' he simply said.

'Shingo! Can't you introduce yourself more properly?'

'I'm Shingo Tsukino.'

'I'm Kasumi Nakano.'

Shingo lazily joined the table. He didn't seem very happy. Somehow, Kasumi felt closer to him than the others, who were all talking among themselves. Sharing memories. How could one think of a better way to keep an amnesiac out of the conversation? Usagi's mother seemed to realize that she was uncomfortable, because she suddenly asked her niece:

'By the way, Shinju-chan, why are you coming to Juuban?'

'Well, actually I'm going to establish myself here.'

'Really?' Usagi's father said. 'That's great!'

'Is it for your job?'

'Yes, of course.'

'What is your job again?' Usagi artlessly asked.

'I'm an astrologer.'

'A what?'

Shinju laughed.

'Astrologer. I study people and events based on the position of planets and stars.'

'Wow! That must be pretty difficult!'

'Not really. The most difficult part of the job is to find clients.'

'Can't you work in a fortune-telling house or something?' Kasumi asked.

She immediately regretted her words.

'I definitely don't think of myself as a fortune-teller.'

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude.'

'Don't worry, it's okay. People have many preconceptions about astrology.'

'Don't you tell fortunes?' Usagi asked, puzzled.

'Sort of. Actually, astrology is mainly a tool of self-awareness. Using your natal chart, one can tell your strengths and weaknesses, and explain why you get along with some people and not with others. But all in all, it's just simple maths.'

_A tool of self-awareness._

'Maths?' Kasumi urged Shinju on. 'What kind of maths?'

'Well, a natal chart shows the position of planets at the time of your birth. So, in order to calculate it, you need the subject's birthday, time and place.'

Once again, Kasumi's hopes instantaneously shattered.

'Oh, I see,' she said, trying her best to hide her disappointment.

There was an uneasy silence. Then Usagi's mother changed the subject. Kasumi let her eyes wander around. They accidentally crossed Shingo's. She shyly looked away, as soon as she realized that he was staring at her.


	7. Bargaining

Kasumi came out from the mist. The scenery was different here. Less reassuring. More chaotic. It looked like some sort of cavern. But the walls seemed alive. Like the whole structure was breathing around her. She hurried forward, trying not to let her eyes wander on the setting too much.

She soon sighted a human shape in the distance. She carefully got closer. The person didn't seem to have noticed her presence. It enabled her to get close enough to see her. Like the three workers she had meet a while ago, she had exactly the same look as herself. But she was wearing a very peculiar outfit. She had some sort of costume, similar to a sailor suit, but much more fashionable. She was also wearing black heels, and a strange tiara, with a silvery crescent moon on it. She was standing next to a dark opening in the wall.

'Excuse me...'

The strangely-clothed Kasumi slowly raised her face. Only then could Kasumi see her true unique feature. Her eyes were half-closed, and her look was empty. Her gestures were lazy and yielding. She seemed like she hadn't slept in days. Her motionless expression had something frightening to it.

'Oh,' she said with a voice as apathetic as her look. 'Hi. What're ya doin' here?'

'You must be Dream.'

'Yeah, I'm the one.'

As if confirming her word, she let out a loud, ungraceful yawn.

'I heard you have something I need.'

'Oh really?'

'Yes. The key to Memory's vault.'

As Dream stared blankly at her, Kasumi wondered if she hadn't passed out.

'The key!' she insisted. 'The key you used to shut away all the archives... I need it!'

'The... key?'

Dream seemed to try very hard to make any sense out of what she was telling her.

'I... don't have it... here...' she finally uttered.

'Don't play dumb with me!' Kasumi warned. 'You must know where it is!'

'I – ah – think I've... lost it.'

'Lost it?'

'Yeah – in there.'

Dream raised a yielding hand and pointed to the dark passage behind her.

'Well then, go and find it.'

'It might – ah – take a while. I'm tellin' you 'cause... you seem in such a hurry...'

'I got it.'

Kasumi got round her sleepy avatar and strode toward the passage's entry.

'I wouldn't go in there like that... if I were ya...' Kasumi stopped. 'It's a bit, uh – dangerous, out there...'

'Dangerous? How so?'

'There are... monsters.'

Kasumi turned back.

'Wait... This place is supposed to represent my mind, right? So, you're telling me that my dreams are filled with... monsters?'

'Ya got it.'

'You told me you've been inside. This means that you must know of a way to defend yourself against them.'

'Ah... yeah – sorta... I'v got... a few powers...'

'And I suppose you cannot lend them to me?'

'No... but we could, uh – trade minds.'

Kasumi frowned.

'Trade minds?'

'Yeah... Ya know, like... ya get to use my body... so ya can take advantage... of my every powers.'

'And meanwhile, you get to use mine. What do you plan to do?'

'Oh... stuff, ya know... it gets pretty... lonely out there...'

'It's useless to go to my staff once again. They will recognize you at once.'

Dream cracked a faint smile.

'I don't like 'em anyway.'

Kasumi pondered silently. Dream looked totally harmless. But that was precisely what was bothering her. She couldn't help but think there was something fishy about her offer.

Then, she shook her head. Who cared anyway? It was not the real world. Nothing could harm her.

'Okay,' she finally said.

'Cool,' Dream exclaimed – as much as her sleepy state enabled her to exclaim 'Let's do that. Gimme yer hands.'

Kasumi seized her avatar's wrists. Her skin was cold, and her limbs were flabby, thus making the touch very unpleasant.

'What now?'

'Ya focus on me... and yell the formula...'

'What formula?'

'Well... Lilith Darkspot Power, Make-Up! of course...'

Bewildered, Kasumi searched for a hint of irony in Dream's voice, but there wasn't any. She seemed to honestly think that this silly formula was going to do anything. The girl skeptically closed her eyes, focused, and shouted 'Lilith Darkspot Power, Make-Up!'.

She stood there for a while, waiting for something to come. But, as she had expected, nothing happened.

'Aw, c'mon,' Dream said. 'Give it a lil' more conviction... Let's say it together...'

Kasumi sighed and tried again. Her loud, determinate voice joined with Dream's low, drawl one. And suddenly, she felt a surge of cold inside of her. She shivered tremendously while feeling things change in her. When she regained her whole consciousness, she noticed that Dream's uniform was gone. She was wearing her own blouse and skirt instead. Kasumi immediately reached to her forehead. Her fingertips came in touch with cold metal. Both girls had exchanged their clothes. But, somehow, Kasumi could feel that it was nos just about clothes.

'Ya look good in it,' Dream said, giggling.

'Don't mess with my body.'

'Don't worry...'

'You'll have to say that again.'

Dream dipped the head.

'Have fun.'

This said, her smile broadened out, letting her teeth show a little. Kasumi shivered. This look had something purely evil to it.


End file.
